Into The Dark
by milkandpandapuffs
Summary: Weeks after they solved the kanima crisis, Stiles found out something he was working hard to prevent. The only reason it was so hard to imagine, was that he worked hard to prevent it in his dad. He had completely forgotten himself.


The story idea came into my head and I decided I should go with it.

Beta'd by my lovely friend Sarah. I don't own the characters or that stuff yea.. you know.

Comment on your feelings about it!

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Stiles never wanted the bite.

Even when Peter said that he was lying, it was the adrenalin of the moment. It was the fear of dying that couldn't be stopped. It was the hope for a stronger life.

When Stiles really thought about it, he knew he made the right choice.

At the moment, Stiles had a lot of time to think.

Weeks after they solved the kanima crisis, and Peter was back in the ground, Stiles found out something he was working hard to prevent.

The only reason it was so hard to imagine, was that he worked hard to prevent it in his dad; which he successfully did. He had completely forgotten himself.

After a particularly rough Lacrosse practice, Stiles had grown very sick very fast.

The last thing he remembered was feeling like he was having a panic attack. And then he faintly hears Scott screaming something that sounded like his name.

Stiles woke up a week later in the hospital.

"W-what happened..." Stiles murmured as he slowly opened his eyes to see a nurse measuring out something and putting it into the IV bag that was fed to his arm.

"You're awake! Oh goodness I have to go call them." The nurse said as she finished whatever she was doing.

"Wait!" Stiles called out as she was half way out of the door. It was just enough to stop her. "How long have I been out?" The only reasonable explanation to her being so exited would be if he was out for a long time.

"A little over a week now." She called back as she ran out to do something.

Stiles was left to stare at the ceiling in amazement of trying to figure out what had happened.

It was just a normal panic attack… Why had he passed out?

"Stiles!" A voice rang out. It was raspy and low, but familiar and oh so comforting. It was the voice of Stiles' father. And without another word having to be said, he rushed over to Stiles and hugged him. Stiles felt like he would be crushed by the force behind the hug.

"D-dad! What happened?" Was all Stiles could push out before he noticed what his father looked like.

"You had a heart attack. The doctors are still looking into it. But you were out for a week. I was so worried. I didn-"

"Shhhhhh. It's okay dad. I'm okay now see! Old Stiles back in business. Ready to mettle in your work and keep you out of the curly fries." Stiles had to softly reassure his father to try and stop him from breaking down. After his mother's death, his father got extremely emotional whenever he got hurt.

For a while, it seemed like nothing had happened. They let Stiles go back home after a few days and inevitably he was as good as new. His father was more supportive of the healthy eating plans and Scott cut down on the Allison talks but other than that life was regular.

The only abnormal one was Derek. Stiles had seen Derek when everyone got together for a weekly 'How to Train your Werewolf' in which it was mostly play fighting with the wolves and Allison teaching Lydia and Stiles about different weapons and how to use them. But after Stiles got back, Derek acted extremely different. He wouldn't man-handle Stiles like he used to. Instead he would just come up to Stiles, stare at him, ask him if he was okay (to which Stiles usually replied about he was the same as when Derek had asked him five minutes earlier). At times it would end with Derek patting him on the head or shoulder lightly and then leaving.

It was strange but everyone treated Stiles a little differently for a little while after he woke up.

Derek's new habit lasted the longest.

A month and a half had passed since the incident. Stiles was allowed back into Lacrosse, even though he was on the bench most of the time. He became closer to everyone, Jackson was half decent and Lydia would acknowledge his existence. The pack would get together and his dad was home more often.

Life was great.

Until one day when he got home and his father was sitting on the couch, whisky bottle in hand and eyes red and swollen.

"The hospital called. They figured out what caused the heart attack."

Stiles began to notice the signs.

As he was completing his Economics mid-term test he had decided to do the writing portion on the preservation of mummies based on social standings. It should have been another easy topic to write about since he had researched it so much.

He couldn't remember anything.

But a Stilinski never panics, so Stiles decided to do another off key topic… But nothing came to mind. In the end Stiles answered the question quickly and without pulling any fancy facts out. He couldn't remember anything besides what he had read in his book that morning.

After he scratched a simple answer onto the paper, Stiles handed it in and went to the courtyard type area that was just outside of the cafeteria. All he could do was star off into the distance until one by one things started to come back to him.

When Stiles could remember enough to go to his next class he still had a lot of blank areas of things he couldn't remember.

Even at the end of the day, as he went back to sleep, Stiles couldn't remember the large part of his childhood; mainly his mother.

That week was spent with Stiles trying to hide his symptoms from his friends. All the while making up strange reasons why he had to go to the doctor's so often.

The headaches were the easiest to hide. And Stiles got a few strange looks when he would slur his words from time to time. Other than that Stiles thought he was doing really well hiding it. Until he arrived at a pack meeting and everyone was in position for an intervention.

"Stiles." Scott started as Stiles approached the group. "You need to tell us; what's going on with you lately."

They were all standing or sitting on and around Derek's porch. Scott, Allison, Isaac, Erica, Boyd, Derek, Lydia, Danny, and even Jackson had gathered.

"Referring to what?" Stiles asked even though he knew what they were talking about.

"Ever since that incident at lacrosse you have been acting really unusual. You have been randomly sick, barley talking to some of us, and I can count on one hand how many pack meetings you have been to since then." Scott continued. "Seeing as we are your pack, and we are basically your family here, we all deserve to know what the hell is up with you."

It was going to happen. Stiles was going to have to tell everyone. He just wished it didn't have to happen like this.

"A while after I got back from the hospital my dad got a call." Stiles had to pause. He couldn't stop shaking but dammit he wouldn't cry. He was too strong to cry like this. "I have a malignant brain tumor. So basically I have fast spreading cancer cells in my brain and if I don't stop it…"

Stiles couldn't finish the sentence. His eyes were only watering. The shaking was getting worse though.

Before Stiles could even think of calming himself down he felt a familiar pair of arms around him, followed by another, and another. By the time Stiles realized it everyone was hugging him. It looked to have been started by Derek trying to calm him down. Of course everyone had followed.

It was safe to say after that nothing was accomplished, other than everyone deciding to make a pillow fort and watch the batman movies, to get his mind off it.

The medicine didn't work.

The migraines got worse.

The memories disappeared.

New problems began to arise as well. Every once in a while Stiles vision would blur, causing him to go into a panic attack.

Even the support of his friends couldn't help.

Stiles was taken out of school and Spent most of his time at home, either in his room or on the couch.

They had gone through all of the options; surgery, new medications, nothing had a chance of working. They had noticed it too late.

Everyone visited quite often, sometimes in groups, sometimes alone. But the most surprising was Derek. Derek spent the days while everyone else was in school and Stiles father was at work sitting by Stiles. They would talk about silly things and Derek would try his best to help Stiles forget about the pain.

Stiles knew it was a lost cause but greatly appreciated the effort.

One day, very much unlike the others, Derek came in and didn't say a word. Derek wouldn't normally say much but he would at least help carry a conversation, answer a question, even say hello. But that day he just sat in his usual chair near Stiles couch, silent and darker than usual. The area around Derek's eyes was dark and bags had formed, making it look like he hadn't slept at all. It wasn't until a few hours of just sitting that Derek spoke.

"I thought of how I can help fix this." He spoke low and softly. It would have been unnoticed any other time but with Derek being silent, Stiles ears were on hyper alert for any sign of conversation.

"How?" Stiles almost yelled out of excitement. If there was any way of helping Stiles would do it.

"I could turn you. If you were a werewolf then the healing process would take over and cure you." Derek spoke even softer then. He knew Stiles opinion on wanting to be turned. Stiles would do anything to get better. Anything but take the bite.

"No."

"It could work."

"No."

"You would be even stronger."

"No."

"God dammit Stiles stop being so stubborn. You could die if you don't-"

"I could die if I do. And I would rather die than have to put my dad through this werewolf crap. He already has so much to deal with. You saw what this did to Scott's mom! She almost dies every month now. My dad already does that enough for my taste. Can we please just drop it now?"

And nothing else was said on the matter.

It wasn't long after Stiles was forced to stop school that he got severely sick.

He spent a week just going between conscious and unconscious states.

Stiles dad was allowed time off and spent most of his time with his son. Most of the pack visited almost every day.

Derek would only come in every once and a while.

"You have about a month."

"One month."

"Yes, around then parts of your brain will start to shut off. When it happens you won't know it. It will feel like you are really tired and then you will just, fall asleep in a way."

Stiles began to be afraid to go to sleep.

The day was set. After that point, only family could visit.

On that day everyone came in one by one.

Danny came in first, followed by Jackson. Both of them had been short and not very wordy. Both of them mainly apologized.

Isaac, Erica, and Boyd all came in at the same time. They took turns saying goodbye and Stiles could easily see that all of them were devastated. He told them to watch Derek and make sure he doesn't become a pile of angst and leather.

Allison was next. Her eyes full of tears, and hands full of different candies and things Stiles loved.

When Lydia came in, she was composed. Stiles of course confessed his crush on her that he harbored since the third grade. When she left, she kissed him lightly and told him that when it was all over, they could go out for pizza some time.

Scott was after that.

"Still getting ladies?" Scott said as he made his way into the room.

"You know it" Stiles said with a grin plastered across his face.

They talked about comic books and video games like normal for a good five minutes. Until both remained silent for a moment. The silence was broken by Scott.

"What am I going to do? You have been my best friend for so long." Scott started blankly stare into the distance as tears formed in his eyes.

Stiles moved to catch Scott's attention. And as soon as Scott looked up, he pulled Stiles into a hug that felt like Stiles was the only thing holding Scott from falling.

"You've been more than my best friend. You've been my brother."

Stiles knew he couldn't answer.

Inevitably Stiles saw everyone. And at the very end of it all, Stiles asked if he could see Scott's mom, Melissa.

When she came in she sat next to him while he used the last of his energy to explain.

"After my mom died my dad was a wreck. I swear if I wasn't there he would be dead. But this time I won't be there. I need to help him. Make sure he eats well and keep him away from the alcohol. I wish I had someone else I could trust to do this so you wouldn't be burdened-"

"I promise."

Derek came later that night.

After he snuck past the nurses into Stiles room, he was alone. Stiles was asleep but his sleep looked too fragile.

The boy sleeping in front of Derek didn't look like Stiles at all.

He was skinny, almost bone thin. His face was pale and his eyes looked dark and sunken in.

It made this easier for Derek.

Derek swiftly made his way over to Stiles, taking his hand lightly.

"I'm so sorry." Derek whispered as he lowered his head to Stiles pale arm. "I wish you hadn't been so stubborn. You wouldn't have had to suffer this long then."

Derek sunk his teeth into Stiles wrist.

Stiles woke up immediately, crying out in pain and eyes wide with fear. The teenager thrashed about as the bite took effect, making the mark on his wrist heal over. It was fast, faster than Derek has ever seen. But even after the bite was gone, Stiles still gasped in pain.

Derek held Stiles down, Derek made sure no Nurses would be close enough to hear any commotion, but this was unexpected.

Derek tried to calm stiles down but Stiles just kept screaming.

The thrashing calmed and Derek was able to let Stiles go, but he just couldn't. Something was wrong.

Stiles heartbeat that had been so loud seconds before was drowning to a soft murmur.

Derek could see Stiles face calming as the pain stopped.

"Derek" Stiles said as he weakly blinked. "What did you do?"

"I saved you." Derek whispered back. He knew everything would be okay.

"I didn't need saving."

Stiles blinking slowed.

His heartbeat faded.

He wasn't turning and he wasn't healing.

Derek panicked; he could no longer hear Stiles heart beating. As Derek ducked his head to stiles chest he raised Stiles body into his arms.

"No. Nononono. This wasn't supposed to happen. No Stiles stop. You were supposed to turn. You were supposed to be alive and better than ever."

Stiles just remained limp in Derek's arms.

"You were supposed to live."

Weeks later the funeral was held.

The entire town showed up.

The Sheriff was the last to make his speech, he was only able to say;

"I knew that Stiles was exactly like his mother from the day he was born. They were the same in every way. Even in their end."


End file.
